in romney's trajectory toward pennsylvania avenue? i mean, this strategy, talking about big bird. >> yeah, well, look at it this way, the debate was so dispiriting for the president's base that, you know, this is the one thing when you played the clip of the president making the big bird joke, what happened? tons of laughter. this is something that i'm sure the campaign realizes the base likes it, it gets them re-energized and refocused, and keep in mind -- >> doesn't it remind them, though, of what a stinky debate it was for president obama? i mean, doesn't it take you back to all of this, that this was a lackluster performance for a man who wants to keep his job? >> right, yes, so it was a lack buster performance and there's no getting around it. you can't pretend that that debate didn't happen, but you've got to do something to remind, to sort of get the voter, to get your base wound up again. because remember, this is a base election. whichever person, whichever candidate can get his base out to the polls, that's going to be the margin of victory. and with regard to the swing state po
